The argument
by Turelie Telcontar
Summary: Sirius comes home at the end of his fifth year, and an argument with his mother makes him leave the house. (Mentioned in OotP) *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

Okay, here is the first HP fanfiction I've ever written! I hope you like it, and please, review, and tell me what you think about it, or at least a short "Hi, I've read it!" Those notes make my day, and feed my muse, so that she won't starve!

A/N: As always, thanks to my beta Sparx, and to my muse Trish! Without them, you wouldn't get anything!

Chapter 1

Sirius stared, deep in thought, at the train. His fifth year in Hogwarts was over, he had his OWLs, and he felt that they had been quite good. Not as good as they could have been, had he paid more attention to classes during the year, but still... 

Then why did he feel so disappointed and sad? 

He didn't need to think about the question, a little voice in his head answered immediately: "Because the term is over, and you have to go home." 

Sirius knew it was true. He had to go home and face his family, most of whom he loathed. And while he was thought of as recklessness and fearless in Hogwarts, he had never undertaken those adventures alone. And he knew he could face everything as long as his friends were with him. 

Of course this was another reason why he felt so sad, he had eight weeks of long vacations before him, with a horrible family, and he wouldn't see his friends. Well, perhaps he could visit them, but this wouldn't be nearly often enough...

"Hey, Padfoot, already planning pranks for next year?" James asked him with a friendly patting on his shoulders, and his eyes sparkled with life. Sirius grinned hastily back "No, actually not at the moment".

 James mocked a shocked expression: "So you want to tell me that you can think about something else?" 

Sirius boxed him playfully. "Yes, I was thinking how long we wouldn't see each other..." 

Now both of them, and the other two boys who had stood silently beside them during their banter, sobered. "Yes", said Remus thoughtfully, "two full moons, without you..." 

Then James couldn't bear this mood any longer "but when we come back, we'll have some more good plans to put into action..." 

"As if you'd need even more, James, you always have really good ones..." marked Peter with an expression of admiration. 

"That's true, and Dumbledore and McGonagall surely think I have more then enough, oh, and Severus..." James laughed self-conscious. "Well, time to leave. We'll send each other a lot of owls. Don't worry, Padfoot, we won't forget you in this long time." 

"You just dream about Lily, no wonder you won't think it to be long." Now everyone laughed again, and so they went with good mood to their own homes.

But Sirius' good mood didn't stay for long. As soon as he was standing before number 12, Grimmauld place, his mood dropped down to ice-level. He took some deep breaths to calm himself, before he knocked at the door. Kreacher, one of the Black's house-elves, opened the door. He bowed deeply, and whispered: "Young master is back! Welcome home. I'll tell the mistress." 

"Yes, do this. But first, bring me something to eat in my room, I'm hungry."

"Yes, master, of course." Kreacher went to the kitchen, to do as ordered. 

But Sirius knew that he just followed his orders, because Sirius was a Black, and Kreacher was bound to the house of Black. Secretly Kreacher hated Sirius. Sirius didn't care about this. He didn't like Kreacher, like everything that had to do with his family, and just wanted the house-elf to follow his orders.

Satisfied that Kreacher had left, Sirius stumbled up the stairs, with his package. He had yet some time left before dinner, when he would meet his mother. Suddenly he got very tired, probably because they had spent the last night talking with his friends about their future.

So he let his bag fall down where he was standing, and lied on his bed for a short nap.

Suddenly he was wakened by a knocking on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Master?" he heard the whispering of Kreacher. "The dinner is ready!" 

Sirius sprang out of the bed, cursing. Now he would be late for dinner and the first argument with his mother was already going to be this evening.

"I'll come soon. Tell my mother I have to get ready first." He would be late either way, so he could at least change clothes before dinner. That way he felt better than in the ones he had already worn on the train and while sleeping. He went to open the cupboard. For a moment he considered taking one of the red-golden robes, with the symbol of Gryffindor, but then decided to take a simple black one, with silver buckles. 

Reminding his mother that he was the first Black in a long line who was in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin could lead to an even more unpleasant evening. Although, he had to admit with a wry smile, that would be difficult. 

He quickly changed into the new robe, went to his bathroom, and put some cold water into his face, to get rid of the sleepy look. He stared at himself in the mirror, and started talking. "Okay, you're away from your friends, with this family, your mother who will surely remind you that you're a disgrace for the noble house of Black." This was said with a loathing sneer, "and that your little brother promises to be sooo much better..." he straightened himself, and his blue eyes suddenly sparkled again with the mischief, he was famous for among his friends. "Let's go!"

When he came down in the salon, he had to suppress a groan. At the table sat his mother and his brother, Regulus. And his mother looked ready to kill. With all the false politeness and cheerfulness he could muster, he went into the room. "Good evening, mother, Regulus! I hope you had a good time since last holidays" – just a pleasantry, if anything had gone wrong for the family, he would've gotten message – "Please excuse that I'm late, I just wanted to rest a little, and fell asleep. I take it, father's still in the office?" Saying this while sitting down, he winced, that had been a wrong word. And considering his mother's face, that was enough to start lecture number – he had honestly stopped to count, as well as listening. 

His mother looks as if she had bitten into a lemon. "I'm well, thank you, and how often do I have to tell you not to call your father's work chamber an office? He has still something to do for the ministry, but he will join us soon. And how was your time? Are you still hanging around with those... friends of yours?" She said this with a distasteful expression. 

His friends, point of argument number one with his mother, closely followed by her opinion about muggle-borns, the nobility of pure blood, and some other topics. 

"Why don't you look for "fitting" company, like for example the boy of the Malfoys? Your brother at least knows what he owes his name, although he could work harder..." Sirius registered this comment about his brother with awe. His grades must've really gotten bad, when his mother mentioned it in front of him. Normally no one was allowed to say something bad about her favourite son. "And now I heard that you not only walk around with this Potter-boy, and those others, but with mudbloods, too. Please stop this, or we will have to think about sending you to another school. Since this Dumbledore" - another sneer – "became headmaster of Hogwarts, the school went completely downhill." 

Insulting Dumbledore was just too much. Now Sirius could keep no longer quiet. "If you dislike me and my friends that much, I won't bother you with my presence any longer. Goodbye!"

With this he stood up, and stormed into his room, ignoring his mother's calls to "come back and behave". 

Arriving in his room, he closed the door, and leaned against it, catching his breath and calming down. He just couldn't bear it anymore. He only wanted to leave. But where to go? 

James would be his first answer, he would surely help him, but what would James' parents say? He had never met them, as his parents had insisted on him spending the holidays at home. But he was convinced they would let him at least stay for the night, and tomorrow... tomorrow he'd find some other place. 

With this in mind he started packing his things together. As he had no intention of coming back – if possible not ever – he was careful to get everything precious to him: his books, his broomstick, although he would probably use it to get to James, the photos of his friends, and his robes, and all the little presents that were reminder of his friends, or one of his tolerable relatives.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was 9 p.m., and the Potters sat still at the dinner table, talking about the school, and what new adventures James had had since the holidays on Christmas, when suddenly someone knocked at the door. 

"Who can it be at this time?" Mr. Potter wondered, but stood up to look. James ran excitedly to the door when he heard a soft voice, which he knew too well, talking. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, but I am a friend of James'..." 

"Sirius! Dad, this is Sirius, you know him, I told you about him..." 

Mr. Potter lifted an eyebrow... So this was the boy with whom his son played all his pranks. "Of course. Please come in." He went out of the door, so that Sirius could follow his invitation. He was a little surprised to see that the young man had quite a lot of baggage with him. 

They went to the table, where his wife waited for them to return. 

"Mum, this is Sirius!" James told his mother hastily, when he came in. Mrs. Potter watched the unknown boy that came in behind his son. He was tall, with black hair. And when he looked her in the eyes, she could see that he had blue ones that returned her inquiring gaze openly. She immediately liked the boy. 

And of course she knew him. Not personally, but through the tales her son had told. James had often talked about him. They were best friends. But then her gaze fell on his suitcase, and she wondered why he had brought it, and why he came at 9 p.m., without saying something before...

"Good evening Mrs. Potter. I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I needed to get away from home, and I didn't know where to go..." 

Now that he was at the Potter's he didn't know anymore if it was a good idea to come here.

"Please, sit down. Are you hungry?" Mrs. Potter asked caringly. 

"Yes, thank you," Sirius answered, grateful. She gave him some bread, and put butter, jam and cake in front of him. He loaded a lot of it on the plate James had fetched for him in the kitchen. 

"I went before dinner," he said as an excuse. 

"It is okay, you need much to eat in your age. But tell us, what happened?" 

"Yes, what happened this time, Padfoot?" James asked softly. 

"Well, first I was late for dinner and then she said something about my choice of friends, and told me to not walk around with "mudbloods"." He sneered. "And then she insulted Dumbledore. That made me angry enough that I just walked away. Can you imagine she wanted me to be friends with Malfoy?! This stupid, slimy-" he remembered that James parents were in the room, and stopped. "Well, now I don't know where to go, and thought I could stay here till tomorrow..." 

"You can stay here for longer, we have place enough." offered James. 

"Yes, we would be happy to have guests" invited him Mrs. Potter. "But perhaps we should tell your parents where you are; and that you are safe..." she added as an afterthought. 

"I don't think that's necessary, my parents are probably happy that they got rid of me." Sirius said bitterly.

Unfortunately, James' parents had heard enough about the Blacks to believe this possible. And although they usually didn't listen to gossip, they had never thought the friendship of their son with a son of this family a good sign, but had never said anything. But now that they had met Sirius, they were happy about this friendship. Obviously the son wasn't as bad as the rest of the family.

So they didn't say anything, but just let the boy finish dinner, and then sent both of them sleeping. And while the teenagers slept in James' room together, they planned on how they would convince Sirius to stay for longer.

The End

Okay, that was it! But if enough people like it, I'll perhaps write a sequel, so please, drop me a line and tell me what you think!


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